Big 10 Conference Overrated?

By Tony George www.sportsaudioshows.com  

I wrote an article about the Big 10 conference in football and their premier teams demise in the bowl games, all of whom were hyped up by the national media and overrated. Look at Ohio State and Michigan in the bowls games, they barely competed! Now with March Madness around the corner, lets take a look at the Big 10 conference from a hoops perspective and really see how good they are or are not in this handicappers eye.

A serious look at Wisconsin and Ohio State's big game over the weekend, had me laughing to myself, when I measure up these teams against the nations elite. They played to a miserable and unexciting score of 49-48 with Ohio State coming out on top. So what about the #1 team in the USA anyway? Ranked 70th on offense in points scored, 83rd in 3 point percentage, 156th from the charity stripe, and 173rd in offensive rebounds. Now does that sound like the #1 basketball team in the country? The defensive numbers are respectable at 26th overall, but hardly top 5 material in the grand scheme of things, wouldn't you agree?

The Big 10 is top heavy way down this year in terms of competition on a national scale, much like the Big 12 with Texas AM and Kansas and then everyone else 2 steps behind. The Big 10 is no different. Please do not tell ESPN that however, they love them. The Badgers of Wisconsin, who are ranked 5th in the USA as of 2-27, just lost back to back games on the road to Ohio State and a mediocre Michigan State team that now has everyone thinking Coach Izzo is peaking at tourney time. Wisconsin's national stat rankings are far worse than Ohio State's, but it all comes down to wins and losses. They have good win / loss records, but in a depeleted conference with some averge teams at best. Considering the Big 10 right now, with Illinois and Michigan State rounding out the top 4 with Indiana close behind, how many of you think these teams can compete with Georgetown, North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, Florida, Texas AM and Kansas to name a few? They sure as hell cannot trade punches on offense, I assure you of that, and scoring points in March Madness equates to wins. Not good news for Big 10 hoops lovers come next Month.

If you put Southern Illinois in this conference for this season, they would have as many wins as any team from top to bottom, and compete with everyone, and they are from the Missouri Valley! You take Big East teams like Pitt and Georgetown for example, they would contend for conference honors in the top spot. Once again the national media has blown up the Big 10 to enormous proportions, all underserved in my opinion. I will bet any of you a dime to a dollar that NO team from the Big 10 makes it past the Sweet 16 this year in March Madness, and carrying big numbers as a favorite past round 1 will be tempting to go against teams like Wisconsin and Ohio State. Look at the nation's elite teams, they are scoring machines, and that pays dividends come tourney time. Grinding it out on defense and scoring 48-58 points in a tourney game against some big time teams, and solid mid-major teams, will get you an early bus ticket home, bettors beware.